Strangers in Your Room

They don’t steal my underwear. They don’t use my toothbrush. They don’t even get mad when I throw bananas at them while they’re showering. I have the best roommates in the world; there is nothing anyone could tell me to change my mind.

Before school I was really nervous about having a roommate, as I’m sure a lot of other people were, too. The idea of it is terrifying. Here are three people I’ve only ever Facebook-creeped on who come from histories all their own. We all have our own stories, friends, hobbies, tastes in music, ideas of fun -- and now we live together. We agree on sleeping times, tolerate each other’s habits, deal with all of their late night Skype dates. It’s a lot to take on so fast.

Luckily, they listen to my stories, have amazing friends, share similar hobbies, and we all love Obama. I seriously lucked out with these guys. We’re all so different, but we each bring our own pizzazz to the table and it makes for an exciting life in 503. Friendship has never come so easy, and I’ve never been so thankful. I hear stories of people who have roommates that walk around naked or pretend to be cats and I cringe at having sleepovers every single night with anyone else.

Even if you detest your roommate, having one is such a positive experience. If you can live through nine months of someone snoring beside you, you’ll probably be able to deal with seeing an annoying coworker for eight hours a day, or handle having a creepy neighbor be outside to greet you each morning. But more importantly, I think having roommates is a big wake up call in remembering how to respect people. It’s a serious case of back-to-basics. I’ve remembered the importance of personal space and picking up my socks and the beauty of sharing snacks.

Even if you hate your roommate, it’s still so important to pick up your socks and maybe sometimes share your popcorn. They don’t want you to ruin their life anymore than you want them to ruin yours. So maybe he is a Stinky Joe who doesn’t shower and plays polka music right before bed-- you’re both in the same boat. He’s living with a stranger who has different habits and hobbies.

Although I got lucky and my three roommates have quickly become three of my best friends, I hope if you are living with a Stinky Joe you aren’t hasty to judge. People are different and that’s what makes them interesting. Everyone deserves to at least be comfortable in his or her own living space.

Shannon is a junior majoring in journalism.